The editor looks a an innovative sharpening system that cannot fail

The only knife that interests me is a sharp one and I’ve tried dozens of sharpening systems over the years, with mixed success. The Glide, from Bladetech is much like some other systems I’ve used that I found very practical, and delivered good edges, but please don’t think this is just a copy. Many of the areas I struggled with on the old designs have been addressed here, making this much better to use.

The picture shows you how it’s assembled and all sorts of blade shapes and lengths can be accommodated. With the knife securely clamped and the rod from the ‘stone’ in the guide angle slot of your choosing, it’s a simple job to put a nice edge on in just a few minutes. Although I refer to them as ‘stones’, in fact, the sharpeners are diamond-coated sharpening plates that are very durable and don’t become concave as soft stones will. They come in four grades from coarse, to an ultra fine one that’s used to hone the edge to perfection. The 480 grade plate also has a groove used to sharpen fishing hooks and the like.

Everything you need

This system beats similar ones because you get everything you need; including a small screwdriver to tighten the clamp, and a bottle of anti-clog, honing fluid, in the carry case. Perhaps the best feature of all is the cleverly designed handle that you use to grasp the clamp as you’re working.

This bright red, pistol grip plugs into the centre of the clamp securely in any position you select. It cannot rotate as you’re working because there’s a splined interface to give full control and so your fingers are well away from harm. I found that I suffered much less fatigue than with systems you need to grip with your fingers. There’s even a base stand that you can attach to your work bench for ultimate stability.

With everything set up, it’s simply a case of making 20-30 strokes on each side of the blade, first with the coarse plate, and then work your way through each of the finer plates until you’ve used the 800 one to hone the edge. The guide keeps the angle spot on, and the simplicity of the process makes this so appealing. Almost anybody, experienced or not, can get a great edge in just a short time and most importantly, maintain it.

Website: www.bladetech.co.uk

Tel: 01492 640664

RRP: £39.95